Start-up time is a critical but often overlooked factor in embedded device usability. Using real-world examples — a digital camera that takes 30 seconds to boot versus one ready in 5 seconds, and a hard disc video recorder that pre-warms before scheduled recordings — the post illustrates how OS and software design choices directly impact user experience. Options like suspend-to-RAM (keeping everything in memory) offer instant availability but at a power cost. The piece also reflects on how early magnetic core memory was non-volatile and power-free, contrasting with today's trade-offs between responsiveness and standby power consumption.
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